Maverick's opening window pushed back to January

VIA – SF GATE

Maverick’s opening window pushed back to January

Bruce Jenkins, Chronicle Columnist

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

(11-30) 15:06 PST — Among the surfers who live for a Northern California winter, it’s almost inconceivable that the month of December could pass without big, Maverick’s-style waves. That has become a distinct possibility, however, forcing contest officials to postpone the opening window from Dec. 1 to Jan. 1.

The season to date has brought some sizable surf, but only one really excellent day at Maverick’s – back on Oct. 12. According to the 14-day forecast posted Wednesday on Surfline.com, the province of renowned surf forecaster Sean Collins, there won’t be anything close to a Maverick’s swell through the middle of December, and most likely beyond.

This decision gives contest organizers some breathing room on several fronts. It already had been determined that the Quiksilver Eddie Aikau event, scheduled for Waimea Bay with a Dec. 1 opening window, would take precedent over Maverick’s, the idea being to avoid conflicts over a swell that hits both Hawaii and California. The Christmas-New Year’s week has always been ruled out at Maverick’s, in deference to the holidays. And with the big-wave season obviously running late in Northern California, there will be plenty of opportunity between Jan. 1 and the window’s closing on March 31.

Officials are also trying to determine how to handle the massive crowds that flock to Half Moon Bay on contest day. In light of the chaotic events on Feb. 13, 2010, when several spectators wound up in the hospital after being swept onto the rocks by high-tide surges, it is possible that the Pillar Point beach will be closed this time around…

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/30/SP8E1M6CR6.DTL